Paper handling machine



Feb. 6, 1934. HITCHCQCK 1,946,142

PAPER HANDLING MACHINE Original Filed May 16, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwumvbo t REUBEN H11 SHED CK Feb. 6, 1934. R. HITCHCOCK 1,946,142

PAPER HANDLING MACHINE Original Filed May 16, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 MN hFeb. 6, 1934. R. HITCHC OCK 1,946,142

PAPER HANDLING MACHINE Original Filed May 16, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3gvvventoz RE ub En Hz f cficoc/l.

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Feb. 6, 1934. R. l-uTcHcocK 1,946,142

PAPER HANDLING MACHINE Original Filed May 16, 1927 4 SheetsSheet 4 93,jW f/w Patented Feb. 6, 1934 TTES PAPER HANDLING MACHINE ReubenHitchcock, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Folding MachineCompany, Qieveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 16,1927, Serial No. 191,688 Renewed April 14, 1931 46 Claims.

This invention relates to paper handling machines, and particularly tothe cutting and fold ing of paper sheets in paper handling machines. Thepresent application is a continuation in part of my application SerialNo. 152,184, which eventuated in Patent 1,880,044.

One of the objects of the invention is to increase the usefulness offolding and cutting machines, that is, by adding to the number ofoperations performed on one machine and, consequently, to the output ofthe machine without an increase in the size of the machine. Heretoforewhen sheets have been fed through a folder and cut into two sectibns asthey left the folder, it has been the practice to provide a separatefolding mechanism for imparting a cross fold to each of the two sectionsof the sheet. In accordance with my invention however, the two sectionsof the sheet pass through the same cross folding mechanism, thesesections being delivered from the first fold section onto a cross feedtable along which they move in single file toward the first cross foldsection or any other mechanism for performing further operations uponthe sheets. Hence my machine is capable of imparting to two or moredivisions of the original sheet the same number of folds as could beimparted to a single undivided sheet by the same machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in a single foldingmachine for making a plurality of cuts at right angles to each other sothat at least four booklets or folded sections may be produced at onetime and from a single printed sheet, thus reducing the handling of thepaper to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for accomplishingthe above results in a machine which is no larger than has beenheretofore employed for merely producing in one sheet two sets of foldsat right angles to each other.

Other objects will appear I proceed with the description of thatembodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of presentapplication I have illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental elevational view, partly in section, of a foldingand slitting machine embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is an elevational View of the same machine, partly in section,upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental cross sectional view corresponding to Fig. 2, butshowing a fold plate retracted and its deflector in operative position.

Fig. l is a View similar to Fig. 1 of a slightly different modification,wherein a third fold section is employed. lhe View is takensubstantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same, partly in section on the line 5-5 ofFig. 4.

In the drawings, the frame of the machine is indicated at 10. At theleft of Fig. 1 there is shown a feed table 11 provided with feed rollers12 which so rotate as to carry sheets of paper into a folding mechanismcomprising feed and folding rolls 13, 1 1, 15, 16 and 17, and foldplates 18, i9 and 20, the said fold plates being provided withadjustable stops 21, 22 and 23 against which the paper sheets areadapted to abut and are thereby caused to buckle and be creased by thefolding rolls in accordance with a method of operation well known inthis art.

As the folded sheets emerge from between rolls 16 and 17, they aredirected by a guide plate 24 between feed rolls comprising rubber-facedwheels 25 mounted on shafts 26 and 27. Rotation is imparted to theshafts 26 and 2'? and to the folding rolls 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 by anysuitable means which may include a train of gears 28.

On the shafts 26 and 27 I mount one or more pairs of cutting disks orslitters 29, which, however, are both movable and removable so as tocause the sheets folded in the first folding mechanism to be deliveredtherefrom as single folded sheets or as two or more folded sections,depending upon the requirements of the job to be performed.

When the folded sheets or sections leave the rubber wheels 25, they droponto a cross carrier comprising a series of rollers 39 driven by anyconvenient means so as to have rotation in a clockwise direction, asviewed in Fig. 2, and hence carrying the sheets or sections to theright. The rollers are set at a slight angle, as is common in this typeof machine, for the purpose of moving the sheet to the right of thecross carrier, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, while it travels forward onthe carrier. the length of the cross carrier and serves as an abutmentagainst which one edge of the sheet or section bears as it travels onthe carrier. The stop bar 31 has attached thereto a bracket 32 whichruns upon a rod 33 mounted parallel to and beneath the plane of the topsof the rollers 30. The stop 31 is thereby adjustable crosswise of thecarrier and may be locked in any desired position by means of a setscrew34.

As the sheets or sections impelled by the rollers leave the crosscarrier, they may enter a second folding mechanism which, as illustratedin the drawings, may comprise feeding and folding rolls 35, 36, 3'7, 38,and 39, and fold plates 49, ell, and 42 with adjustable stops 43, 44 and45, for imparting folds at right angles to the folds formed in thesheets or sections by the firstnamed folding mechanism.

As the folded sheets or sections emerge from this second foldingmechanism, they pass over a A stop or guide bar 31 runs A guide plate l6and through a second pair of feed rolls with rubber-faced wheels,identical with the wheels 25, and mounted on shafts a7 and 48. Theseshafts, like the shafts 26 and 27, are also adapted to carry one or morepairs of cutter disks or slitters 29 adjustably and removably supportedon the shafts for imparting one or more cuts in each sheet or sectionpassing through the second folding mechanism, the cuts, of course, beingat right angles to the cuts made as the folded sheet leaves the firstfolding mechanism.

Any further operations which may be desirable may be provided for inadditional units of the machine to receive and act upon the papersections after they are delivered from the feed rolls on the shafts 47and 48. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3,inclusive, I have shown a stacker attached to the frame 10 of themachine in a position to receive the sections after they leave the feedrolls on the shafts 47 and 48. This stacker comprises an endless belt 49running on rollers 50 and 51, rotation being inn-- parted to the roller50 from a gear on the shaft 4'7 through gears 52, 53 and 54. to a smallgear which is rigid with roller 50, the gears of this train being sodesigned as to effect a considerable speed reduction.

Frequently, it is desirable to disable one or more and sometimes all ofthe fold plates of a given fold mechanism. Means for accomplishing thisend are known in the art, and I have illustrated such a means in Figs. 2and 3 of the drawings as applied to the fold plate 40. The same or asimilar means is applied to all of the fold plates in practice, but forthe sake of avoiding complication, is illustrated herein as applied tothe one fold plate only. At both side edges the fold plate has pivotedthereto at 55 an arm 56, and these two arms carry a cross bar 57 whichis termed in the art a deflector. When the particular fold plate inquestion is to be used the deflector 5'7 is swung back into the positionillustrated in Fig. 2. However, when it is desired to disable that foldplate, the same is slid upon its guides in the direction away from thefold rolls, 35, 36 and 3'7 far enough to permit the deflector to beswung down through approximately 180, and the fold plate is then sliddown again until it reaches the position of Fig. 3, where it is adaptedto engage paper moving through rolls 35 and 36 and to deflect itdownwardly through rolls 36 and 37. As will be apparent, it is possibleby means of these deflectors to reduce the number of folds imparted to apaper sheet by a three fold plate mechanism to two folds or one fold orto pass it through that mechanism without any folding Whatever.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated the same machine with a further orthird fold section employed ahead of the stacker. In the construction ofthese figures the feed rolls 47 and 48 deliver the sheets from thesecond fold section onto a table 60 comprising driven angularly arrangedrollers 61 and a sheet guide 62 adjustable upon a rod 63, this sheetguide and mounting rod being similar in all respects to thecorresponding parts 31 and 33 of the first cross feed table. As eachsheet engages the sheet guide 62 the rollers 61 impart motion to it in adirection toward the right as viewed in Fig. 5. From the feed table 61the sheets are delivered into the third fold section, which in thepresent instance, is illustrated as a single fold section comprisingfolding rolls 64, 65

operative connection with one of the rolls of the second fold sectionthrough beveled gears 68 and 69 and a train of spur gears 70.Sheets'leaving this third fold section pass through a pair of feed rolls71 and 72. They may then be received upon a stacker similar to thestacker shown in Fig. 2, having an endless stacker belt 73 moving at lowspeed. This belt, at one end, runs over a roller on a shaft 74 which maybe driven by reduction gearing from a gear on feed roll '71, orotherwise.

In the operation of the machine, sheets of paper are fed by the rollers12 into the first folding mechanism embodying rollers l3, 14, 15, 16 and17. This mechanism may be employed to impart to the sheets one, two orthree folds, all parallel to each other or no folds at all, as aboveexplained. The sheet then passes over the guide plate 24 and is graspedby the rubber faced wheels 25 which draw it forward through the cuttingdisks or slitters 29. As previously stated, I may employ one or morepairs of such slitters, thus dividing the sheet into two or moresections, which are fed down upon the rollers 30 of the cross carrier inside by side relation. As the sections are delivered to the crosscarrier, they move forward, toward the right in Fig. 2, in single filerelation guided by the stop bar 31.

When the first section of paper reaches the second folding mechanism,its forward edge moves into the fold plate 40 and up against the stop43, when the sheet buckles and moves between rolls 36 and 37 with itsfolded edge forward into the fold plate 41, and so on. When the firstfold is imparted by the second folding mechanism, the very folding ofthe section, by means of which it is shortened in its direction oftravel, serves to effect a separation between it and the sectiontraveling just behind on the rollers 36. Each succeeding fold increasesthat spacing.

Leaving the second folding mechanism, the folded sections pass over theguide plate 46 and through the feed rolls on the shafts 47 and 48 where,if desired, one or more additional cuts may be made by slitters 29 onthese shafts. The sections may then fall onto the belt 49 of thestacker.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the sheetsinstead of being stacked immediately after leaving the second foldsection are delivered onto the feed table 60. Upon striking the sheetguide 62 their direction of motion is changed and they travel toward theright into the third fold section where there may be imparted to thesheets a fold parallel to the folds received in the first or primaryfold section. Thereafter the sheets are delivered onto the stacker belt73. The two forms of the invention herein illustrated, therefore areprecisely the same, except that in the form of Figs. 4 and 5 the sheetsare fed through three fold sections, whereas in the form of Figs. 1 to 3inclusive they are fed through two fold sections only.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a paper handling machine, feeding means, means for cutting a sheetinto sections as it passes through said feeding means, a cross carrieronto which said sections are fed in side by side relation, means inconnection with said cross carrier adapted to engage the surfaces ofsheets passing thereover for moving said sections thereupon in the samedirection transverse to the movement of the sheet through said feedingmeans, and folding means at the delivery end of said cross carrier. and66 and a fold plate 67. These rolls may be driven by any suitable means,as for instancaby 2. In a paper handling machine, feeding means, meansfor cutting a sheet into sections as l il) it passes through saidfeeding means, a cross carrier onto which said sections are fed insideby side relation, means in connection with said cross carrieradapted to engage the surfaces of sheets passing thereover for movingsaid sections thereupon in the same direction transverse to the movementof the sheet through said feeding means, folding means at the deliveryend of said cross carrier, and means beyond said folding means forcutting the folded sections into further sections by cuts at rightangles to the cuts resulting from said first named cutting means.

3. In a paper handling machine, folding mechanism, means for cuttingfolded sheets into sections by cuts parallel with the direction ofmotion of the sheets through said folding mechanism, a cross carrieronto which said folded sections are fed in side by side relation, meansin connection with said cross carrier adapted to engage the surfaces ofsheets passing thereover for moving said folded sections thereupon inthe same direction transverse to the movement of the sheet through thesaid folding mechanism, feeding means at the delivery end of said crosscarrier, and means for cutting the said folded sections again at rightangles to the first named cuts as the folded sections pass through saidfeeding means.

4. In a paper handling machine, folding mechanism comprising means formoving sheets therethrough, means for cutting folded sheets intosections by cuts parallel with the direction of motion of the sheetsthrough said folding mechanism, a cross carrier onto which said foldedsections are fed in side by side relation, means in connection with saidcross carrier adapted to engage the surfaces of sheets passing thereoverfor moving said folded sections thereupon in the same directiontransverse to the movement of the sheet through the said foldingmechanism, folding mechanism at the delivery end of said cross carrieradapted to impart folds at right angles to those imparted by the firstnamed folding mechanism, and means for cutting said sections at rightangles to the cuts imparted by said first named cutting means.

5. In a paper handling machine, folding mechanism comprising means formoving sheets there through, means for cutting folded sheets intosections by cuts parallel with the direction of lllOtlOIl'Of the sheetsthrough said folding mechanism, a cross carrier onto which said foldedsections are fed in side by side relation, and means in connection withsaid cross carrier adapted to engage the surfaces of sheets passingthereover for moving said sections thereupon in the same directiontransverse to the movement of the sheet through said folding mechanism.

6. In a paper handling machine, folding mechanism comprising means formoving sheets therethrough, means for cutting folded sheets intosections by cuts parallel with the direction of motion of the sheetsthrough said folding mechanism, a cross carr'er onto which said foldedsections are fedin side by side relation, means in connection with saidcross carrier adapted to engage the surfaces of sheets passingthereo-ver for moving said folded sections thereupon in the directiontransverse to the movement of the sheet through said folding mechanism,and folding mechanism at the delivery end of said cross carrier adaptedto impart folds at right angles to those imparted by the first namedfolding mechanism.

7. The method of folding sheets, which consists in folding an undividedsheet, cutting the folded undivided sheet transverse to the fold intosmaller folded sheets, feeding the smaller folded sheets to a commoncross-holder and cross-folding the same, and then feeding the sheets socross-folded to another cross-folder and further cross-folding the samethereby.

8. The method of folding sheets, which consists in folding an undividedsheet, cutting the undivided traveling sheet transverse to the fold, andthen moving the folded smaller sheets in a common path at right anglesto their first paths and cross-folding the same individually.

9. The method of folding sheets, which consists in folding an undividedsheet in the same direction a plurality of times, cutting the undividedsheet into smaller sheets, feeding the sheets so folded in a commondirection to a common first cross-folder and individually cross foldingthe same thereby, and then feeding the sheets thus cross-folded to othercross-folding mechanism and further cross-folding the same thereby.

10. In a folding machine, a first folder, a feeder for feeding anundivided sh et to the folder, a

cutter for dividing the undivided and folded sheet into smaller foldedsheets, and devices for moving the folded smaller sheets located onopposite sides of the line of division in the same direction single fileand cross-folding the same.

11. In a folding machine, a first folder, a feeder 101 feeding anundivided sheet to the folder, a cutter for dividing the undivided andfolded sheet into smaller folded sheets, and devices for moving thefolded smaller sheets located on opposits sides of the line of divisionlaterally in the same general direction at right angles to the line ofcut and cross-folding the same individually.

1.2. In a folding machine, a parallel folder, a feeder for feeding anundivided sheet to the folder, a cutter for dividing the parallel foldedsheet into smaller parallel folded sheets, means for moving the smallerparallel folded sheets away from the cutter in parallel rows, means forproducing right angle turns in the travel of the parallel folded sheetsof both rows while maintaining the folded sheets parallel to their ownplanes, means for feeding the said smaller sheets in their new paths oftravel, and buckle folding mechanism for action upon the smaller foldedsheets of both rows.

13. Ina folding machine, a folder, means for causing travel of a sheetinto and through said folder, a cutter for dividing a sheet along a lineat right angles to a fold imparted by said folder, said cutter andfolder being arranged to successively operate upon a sheet in a desiredorder, for moving the divisions of the original sheet away from saidfolder and cutter in parallel rows, means for altering the travel of thesheet divisions in both rov/s while maintaining them in their own planesso as to cause the leading edge of each sheet division to become itsguide edge, and folding mechanism for imparting folds to said sheetdivisions at right angles to their original folds.

14. In a folding machine, a folder, a feeder for ceding an undividedsheet to the folder, a cutter for longitudinally dividing the sheet,said cutter and folder being arranged for operation upon the sheet in adesired order to produce smaller folded sheets therefrom, cross feedingmeans onto which the smaller sheets are delivcred from said cutter andfolder, means asso ciated with the cross feeding means for interruptingtravel of thesmallersheets from the cut- J ter and folder, said crossfeeding means being adapted to produce travel of the smaller sheetslaterally at right angles to their previous direction of travel, crossfolding means served by the cross feeding means for imparting the nextfold to each smaller sheet at right angles to the preceding foldtherein, and treatment devices for acting upon the cross folded sheets.

15. In a folding machine, a folder, a feeder for feeding an undividedsheet to the folder, a cutter for longitudinally dividing the sheet,said cutter and folder being arranged for operation upon the sheet in adesired order to produce smaller folded sheets therefrom, cross feedingmeans onto which the smaller sheets are delivered from said cutter andfolder, means associated with the cross feeding means for interruptingtravel of the smaller sheets from the cutter and folder, said crossfeeding means being adapted to produce travel of the smaller sheetslaterally at right angles to their previous direction of travel, crossfolding means served by the cross feeding means for imparting the nextfold to each smaller sheet at right angles to the preceding foldtherein, and treatment devices for acting upon the cross folded sheetsresulting from those portions of the original sheet located uponopposite sides of the line of division and cross folded by said crossfolding means when delivered thereto by the cross feeding means.

16. The method of folding sheets, which consists in folding and cuttinga sheet in a desired order to form smaller folded sheets therefrom. andproducing the next fold in each of the smaller folded sheets by movingthem laterally at right angles to the line of cut and cross folding saidsmaller sheets.

17. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a sheet in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheetstherefrom, cross feeding means onto which the smaller sheets aredelivered from the cutter and folder, means associated with the crossfeeding means for in terrupting the travel of the smaller sheets fromsaid cutter and folder, said cross feeding means being adapted toproduce travel of the smaller sheets laterally at right angles to theirprevious direction of travel, and means served by the cross feedingmeans for imparting the next fold to each of the smaller sheetsindividually and at right angles to the preceding fold therein.

18. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a sheet in a desired order to produce small-er folded sheetstherefrom, cross feeding means onto which the smaller sheets aredelivered from the cutter and fold means associated with the crossfeeding means for interrupting travel of the smaller sh ets from saidcutter and folder, said cross feeding means being adapted to feed thesmaller folded sheets laterally in a common direction and at rightangles to the line of cut, and means for folding the laterally fedsmaller sheets individually.

19. In a folding machine, a folder a cutter arranged for operation upona sheet in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheets therefrom,means for cross-folding the smaller sheets successively when they arecut from the single sheet and delivered from the cutter and folder, andtreatment devices for acting upon the cross folded sheets.

20. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a sheet in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheetstherefrom, means for cross folding the smaller sheets one after anotherwhen they have been cut from the single sheet and delivered from thecutter and folder, and treatment devices for acting upon the crossfolded sheets resulting from those portions of the original sheetlocated upon opposite sides f the line of division.

21. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a sheet in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheetstherefrom, and means for moving the smaller sheets located on oppositesides of the line of division laterally at right angles to the line ofcut and cross folding the next fold in each of said smaller sheetsindividually.

22. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a. sheet, in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheetstherefrom, means for interrupting travel of the smaller folded sheetswhen they are delivered from said folder and cutter, and means formoving the folded smaller sheets located on opposite sides of the lineof division one after another in the same direction single file andagain folding the same.

23. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a sheet in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheetstherefrom, means for moving the smaller folded sheets away from thefolder and cutter in parallel rows, cross folding means positionedlaterally of the folder and cutter and making the next fold in eachsheet of the rows delivered from said folder and cutter, and means formoving the sheets of said rows laterally one after another to saidcross-folding means.

24. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a sheet in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheetstherefrom, folding means arranged laterally of the folder and cutter andmaking the next fold in each smaller sheet individually and at rightangles to the preceding fold therein, and means for feeding the smallersheets laterally to said folding means for folding thereby as aforesaid.

25. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a sheet in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheetstherefrom, cross folding means arranged laterally of the folder at rightangles thereto and making the next fold in each smaller sheetindividually and at right angles to the preceding fold therein, meansfor feeding the smaller sheets laterally to said cross folding means forfolding thereby as aforesaid, and treatment devices for acting upon thecross folded sheets.

26. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a sheet in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheetstherefrom, cross folding means arranged laterally of the folder at rightangles thereto and making the next fold in each smaller sheet at rightangles to the preceding fold therein, and means for feeding the smallersheets laterally one after another to said cross folding means forfolding thereby as aforesaid.

2'7. In a folding machine, a folder and a cutter arranged for operationupon a sheet in a desired order to produce smaller folded sheetstherefrom, folding means arranged laterally of the folder and crossfolding the next fold in each smaller sheet at right angles to thepreceding fold therein,

means for feeding the smaller sheets laterally one after another to saidfolding means for cross folding thereby in succession, and treatmentdevices for acting upon the cross folded sheets successively.

28. In a folding machine, a folder, means for feeding an undivided sheetto the folder, a cutter for dividing the folded sheet into smallerfolded sheets, and means for feeding the smaller folded sheets one afteranother laterally of the folder and cutter and for making the next foldin each smaller sheet at right angles to the preceding fold therein.

29. In a folding machine, a folder, a feeder for feeding an undividedsheet to the-folder, a cutter for cutting the folded sheet into smallerfolded sheets, and means for feeding the smaller folded sheets laterallyone after another at right angles to the line of cut and for making thenext fold in each smaller sheet at right angles to the preceding foldtherein.

30. The method of folding sheets, which consists in folding and cuttinga sheet in a desired order to form smaller folded sheets, and producingthe next fold in each of the smaller folded sheets by moving them oneafter another along a single path at right angles to the line of cut andcross folding said smaller folded sheets individually.

31. The method of folding sheets, which consists in folding and cuttinga sheet in a desired order to form folded divisions of said sheet, andproducing the next fold in each folded division of the sheet by movingthe folded divisions laterally in single file along a path at rightangles to the line of cut and cross folding said divisions individually.

32. The method of folding sheets, which consists in folding an undividedsheet, cutting the undivided sheet transversely of the fold to formfolded divisions of said sheet, and producing the next fold in thefolded divisions of the sheet respectively by movin them laterally fromthe line of cut and cross folding said divisions individually.

33. The method of folding sheets, which consists in feeding an undividedsheet in one direction and folding it a plurality of times, cutting theundivided folded sheet into smaller folded sheets, producing the nextfold in each smaller sheet by feeding said smaller sheets laterally oneafter another in a direction at right angles to the first nameddirection and cross folding the smaller sheets individually, and thenfeeding the cross folded sheets at right angles to their previousdirection of travel and further cross folding said smaller sheets.

34. In a folding machine, means for dividing a sheet to form smallersheets therefrom, and means for moving and acting upon the smallersheets so that their leading edges become guide edges during travel ofthe smaller sheets and before a folding action thereon in said machine.

35. In a folding machine, means for dividing a sheet to form smallersheets therefrom, means for folding the smaller sheets and to which thelatter are fed from the first named means, and means for moving andacting upon the smaller sheets so that their leading edges become guideedges during travel of said sheets to said folding means.

36. In a folding machine, sheet feeding means, sheet dividing meansreceiving a sheet therefrom and dividing it into smaller sheets, andmeans for moving and acting upon the smaller sheets so that theirleading edges become guide edges during travel of the smaller sheets andbefore a folding action thereon in said machine.

37. In a folding machine, sheet folding and dividing means arranged foroperation upon a sheet in a desired order to produce folded divisionsthereof, and means for moving and acting upon the folded divisions sothat their leading edges become guide edges during travel of the foldeddivisions and before further folding thereof in said machine.

38. In a folding machine, sheet folding and dividing means arranged foroperation upon a sheet in a desired order to produce folded divisionsthereof, means for further folding the divisions and to which the latterare fed, and means for moving and acting upon the folded divisions sothat their leading edges become guide edges during travel of saiddivisions to said last named folding means.

39. In a folding machine of the character described, a folder and acutter arranged for operation upon a sheet in a desired order to producefolded divisions thereof, and means for moving and acting upon thefolded divisions so that their leading edges become guide edges duringtravel of the folded divisions and before cross folding action thereonin said machine.

40. In a folding machine, sheet folding and dividing means arranged foroperation upon a sheet in a desired order to produce folded divisionsthereof, a cross folder to which the folded divisions are fed from thecutter and first named folder, and means for moving and acting upon thefolded divisions so that their leading edges become guide edges duringtravel of said divisions to said cross folder.

41. The method of folding sheets, which consists in dividing a sheet toform smaller sheets therefrom, moving and acting upon the smaller sheetsso that their leading edges become guide edges, and thereafter foldingsaid smaller sheets.

42. The method of folding sheets, which consists in folding and dividinga sheet in a desired order to form smaller folded sheets therefrom,moving and acting upon the smaller folded sheets so that their leadingedges become guide edges, and thereafter cross folding said smallersheets.

43. The method of folding sheets, which consists in feeding a sheet anddividing it to form smaller sheets therefrom, moving and acting upon thesmaller sheets so that their leading edges become guide edges, andthereafter folding said smaller sheets.

44. The method of folding sheets, which consists in making a fold in asheet transversely thereof, dividing the sheet transversely of the foldto form smaller folded sheets, and moving and acting upon the smallerfolded sheets so that their leading edges become guide edges duringtravel of said smaller sheets and before further folding thereof.

45. The method of folding sheets, which consists in making one or morefolds in a sheet transversely thereof, dividing the sheet transverselyof the fold or folds into a plurality of smaller folded sheets, movingand acting upon the smaller folded sheets so that their leading edgesbecome guide edges, and further folding said smaller sheets.

46. The method of folding sheets, which consists in making one or morefolds in a sheet transversely thereof, dividing the folded sheettransversely of the fold or folds into a plurality of smaller foldedsheets, moving and acting upon the smaller folded sheets so that theirleading edges become guide edges, and thereafter cross folding saidsmaller folded sheets.

REUBEN HITCHCOCK.

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